


Cosmic Love

by avatarblake



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Eddie Thawne - Freeform, F/F, Francine West - Freeform, Joe West - Freeform, Linda Park - Freeform, More characters to be added eventually!, Wally West - Freeform, cisco ramon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25611124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatarblake/pseuds/avatarblake
Summary: Iris was pretty easy going, as she liked to think. But being uprooted from a life she knew before and transplanted into Central City in the middle of the year was the least easy going thing she could think of. On her first day of school, she meets Barry and almost instantly, they have a connection. Like the stars aligned and the heavens opened up, it was cosmic even.OR the boarding school AU I convinced myself that was needed.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Spring semester, Iris and Wally’s first day at Central City Prep**

Whoever thought moving in the middle of the school year was a good idea deserved a swift kick to the chest. Before her Dad’s promotion, before her and her brother Wally were instructed to sit in their living room; Iris was pretty happy with her life. 

She was going into her junior year of high school, she was finally going bite the bullet and ask Scott if he wanted to go on a date with her -- Iris refused to wait for boys to make the first move, they were incredibly stupid. That was all besides the point now, because here was Iris, pulling up the CC Prep pants that were a little too big.  
  
“This is so stupid,” Iris mumbled under her breath. Suddenly, she was pressed against her back, letting out an ompf, she turned around and glared at the culprit. Luckily, it was her brother. “Watch it Wally!” She groaned, standing up straight, flattening out her shirt and school blazer. It was navy blue and matched the horrid pants, she’d have to fix these asap. 

“Jesus, chill. It’s a new school, not a death sentence.” Wally rolled his eyes at his sister, he had a small smile on his face. Unlike his sister, the idea of moving to a new city and going to a new school didn’t bother him too much. It kind of made Iris jealous, she wished she could go with the flow like Wally, she always admired that about him. Iris grumbled as the final bell rang, together; Wally and Iris walked up the steps towards their new school. Going through the large double doors and inside. 

The fluorescent lighting was almost aggressive, they were bright and reflected off the black and white speckled tile under their feet. The students were all wearing variations of the same outfit. Navy blue bottoms and blazer, white shirt with red accents. The group of girls with skirts caught both Wally and Iris’ eyes. The back of Iris’ hand hit Wally square in his chest. 

“Can you at least get your schedule before you go trying to flirt?” There was no bite to it, because there didn’t need to be. The girls were pretty, if Iris was being honest. Maybe she could leave boys to be a thing of the past…

“And what do you have to say for yourself?” Wally teased, his eyes following his sister’s towards the same group of girls. Iris rolled her eyes before pulling Wally’s shirt, directing them both to the principal's office. The way every door to every classroom looked the same gave Iris vague cult vibes, she tried to shake the feeling, wondering if they’d be the only two black students in their grades. 

As they were walking down the hall, Iris spotted a tall boy with a shorter one. The two of them were also dressed in their uniforms, the shorter boy; brown skin with dark hair reaching his shoulders, curled a little at the ends. Who could be assumed to be his friend, was taller and considerably paler, his hair was brown; short on the sides and longer on the top. His face was sprinkled with freckles, enough to have Iris’ eyes lingering for a moment. The taller boy turned, Iris quickly averted her gaze, looking straight ahead. Iris and Wally made a sharp right turn, walking into the principal's office. 

“Good morning, We’re Iris and Wally West, it’s our first day, we were looking for the guidance counselor Ms. Honey?” Iris walked up to a desk that reached right at her chin, she had to raise herself on the balls of her feet -- which was admittedly annoying -- to see the receptionist typing away at the keyboard. 

The woman behind the computer had blonde hair, her skin was pale. The blush on her cheeks was a nice compliment to her whole look. She looked up, blinking at the two of them before her face broke out into a big wide smile.  
  
“Mister and Miss West! We’re delighted to have you among the brightest here at Central City Preparatory! I’m Ms. Lance, the school’s receptionist.” There was a noise, like wheels sliding across the floor. Ms. Lance was standing with her hand outstretched for Iris and Wally to take. They both shook her hand, Iris smiling to be polite, Wally doing the same. “Ms. Honey is in her office, go right ahead.” Ms. Lance gestured towards the door that was decorated in what looked like artificial leaves and flowers, it made Iris raise her eyebrow ever so slightly.

Walking into the office, there was a woman behind another computer. Her skin was brown like hers, she had red hair, it was practically orange that somehow complimented her hair really well. The hair was parted down the middle and put into space buns, she had clips on each bun, it was eclectic for a school receptionist. Iris decided she liked her. 

“Ms. Honey?” Iris asked, her voice both soft and firm, a complicated mixture, the voice sounded like she wasn’t sure of new things. She still wasn’t sure about CCP.  
  
“Ah! You must be our newest students. We’re very excited to have you!” Like Ms. Lance, Ms. Honey stood up to greet them; though the guidance counselor seemed to bounce. They all exchanged handshakes before Iris and Wally sat down in the chairs before her desk.

“Both of you are incredibly gifted,” Ms. Honey started, giggling at her own pun, it was dorky but it made Iris smile. Wally leaned back in his chair, Iris setting her backpack on the floor. Ms. Honey finally sat, pulling out a folder. She then picked up two pieces of paper, handing one to Iris and the other to Wally.

They were their schedules; Iris leaned over, comparing their classes. 

_Iris Ann West Wallace Franklin West_   
  
  


7:45 First Bell 7:45 First Bell 

8:10 Final Bell 8:10 Final Bell 

8:15 - 9:10 History 8:15 - 9:10 Science 

9:15 - 10:10 Math 9:15 - 10:10 English

10:15 - 11:10 French 10:15 - 11:10 Engineering 

11:15 - 12:00 Lunch A 11:15 - 12:00 Study Hall

12:05 - 12:40 - Study Hall 12:05 - 12:40 - Lunch B

12:45 - 1:40 Theatre 12:45 - 1:40 Math

1:45 - 2:40 - English 1:45 - 2:40 - Spanish

2:45 - 3:40 - Science 2:45 - 3:40 - History

3:45 - Final Bell 3:45 - Final Bell

  
  


Her bottom lip jutted out into a small pout, new places often made her hyper aware of her existence, residual trauma of being black in predominantly white spaces she figures -- _Whatever._ Maybe she wanted to stick to his side for the day. Wally looked at her, patting the back of her hand. 

“It’s okay, you can annoy me later.” He teased lightly, he quickly moved out of the way of Iris’ hand that was coming to slap him against his chest. Ms. Honey sat behind her desk admiring the siblings in front of her. Wally turned his wrist to check the time on his watch, it read 8 am on the dot. “Is there like a map or something..” His voice trailed off, “Cause this school is large as hell.”  
  
“Wally,” Iris groaned before turning towards Ms.Honey, an apologetic smile on her face. Wally’s language didn’t seem to phase her, she popped up, grabbing two pamphlets off the shelf behind her. Taking her seat again, she handed one of each to Iris and Wally. Iris opened hers and almost immediately scanned the layout of the school. She had seen it before, obviously. 

The anxiety that she liked to ignore had crept in when her parents announced their move. To somehow find a way to not be completely and unbelievably upset at them for basically transplanting her into a new school.. Iris had done her research. 

Central City Prep offered state of the art curriculum, their students were known for their high test scores and excellence at their extra curricular's. Most students went into ivy leagues and HBCUs. With an extensive list of electives, CCP had all the tools to set a student up for success; maybe that wasn’t the worst thing in the world. 

“The two of you should get going, you wouldn’t want to be late for your first period class.” Ms. Honey urged. Wally nodded, giving the older woman a smile before he was up and out of his chair. Throwing a farewell to Iris before disappearing behind the door. Wally was always so good at molding himself to fit what was going on around him while still being himself. Iris huffed under her breath, her eyes looking from where Wally had disappeared back to Ms. Honey.  
  
“Thank you.” Iris smiled, standing herself, she shook Ms. Honey’s hand before leaving the same way she came, giving a small wave to Ms. Lance as she left the office completely. In the hallway, Iris took a deep breath, she looked down at the map and her schedule, walking slowly as she did so. There was a pressure in the chest of her chest, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as the final well rang. Iris looked up, watching the stragglers disappear behind doors before they closed.

“Shit.” She hissed, Iris quickly looked for a bathroom, there was one down the hall. There was barely anyone in the hallway, which she was thankful for, she needed just a couple more minutes before she spent the rest of the day repeating ‘ _Hi, I’m Iris West_ ’. Behind the bathroom doors, somehow she felt a little safer. Slowly, she walked towards one of the sinks, placing her hands on either side of it, looking at her reflection. 

“It’s the first day of school, you’ve done this before, stop over analyzing everything.” Iris talked to herself, trying to will herself to actually believe the words. The worst part? It wasn’t like she could get in her car and go home, well she *could*, but Central City Prep was a boarding school, students were mandated to stay on campus throughout the week, unless it was an emergency. Otherwise, students would be punished. She sighed, looking at the schedule and map again, noting where her first class was -- But she didn’t move. She stood there, in the bathroom, with the bright florescent lights rudely washing her out.

The second bell rang, she should’ve been in her first period class right now, but all she could think about was slipping out and going back to her dorm to unpack all the boxes she neglected. Iris told her parents she was fine with the move (she still wasn’t). Eventually, Iris peeled herself from the mirror, folding her map and schedule under her arm while she washed and dried her hands. Using the paper towel to hold the handle, she pivoted her body to throw it away, not looking as she bumped into something, some _one_.

“Jesus, sorry.” Iris got out, she looked up and was met with a pair of blue eyes. She took a step back, blinking before taking in their whole appearance. His hair was short and blonde, shorter on the sides though, almost like a fade. His shoulders were broad and he stood over her, his hands had come out to hold onto her arms to steady her. 

“No worries,” He said, the corners of his lips pulling into a small smile; Iris felt herself get lost for a moment before blinking again.

“Headed towards the women’s bathroom?” She raised an eyebrow at him, he was pretty, had a nice smile and eyes, there had to be some sort of catch. Not single maybe? Peeping tom? He laughed at her, taking his hands off her arms.  
  
“They’re co-ed, you’re the new girl, right?” Iris’ eyebrows pushed together, forming a crease between them, as if she didn’t believe him, she looked over her shoulder, in fact proving him right. There were no gender signs on the door, just a sign that read bathroom. She turned back to him, her mouth forming an ‘o’. 

“Well, that answers my question I guess.” She grumbled, “Yes. I’m the new girl, and you are?” It’d be nice to have a name to face when she would eventually day dream in History.

“Eddie.” He smiled at her, but it disappeared quickly, “This is cute and all, but I really have to --” He placed his hands back on Iris’ arms, effectively switching their positions, Iris now in the hallway and Eddie with his back towards the bathroom. “See you around the new girl.” With two fingers, he gave Iris a salute before he disappeared behind the door. 

She blinked, before realizing she should probably get to her History class, Iris took out the folded map and schedule from under her arm, opening them up in front of her face and tried to pinpoint in which direction to go. 

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, digging into the flesh before she nodded to herself, putting on foot in front of the other, Iris began walking in the direction to her class. The lighting mixed with the repetitive look of every class and locker was starting to get her to her. Iris reached Room H213, she placed her hand on the handle.

Iris paused, sighing before she twisted the door handle in her hand and walked in. Eyes turned toward her, she tried to ignore them, but it was like she could feel them on her skin. Iris walked toward the teacher, putting on a smile. 

“Hi, I’m Iris West.”

. . .

  
  


As predicted, she’d have to repeat those four words multiple times, she managed to get through History, despite her teacher calling on her and trying to make her feel ‘included’ it really only made her feel that much more singled out.  
  
Math was -- As it always had been -- Her worst subject. There was something about numbers that never made any sense to Iris. She was naturally gifted in the sense that she could figure almost anything out, but with math? She’d have to force herself to be patient, frustration would often creep up; making her want to pull out her hair from not being able to understand something so simple as _numbers_. She’d have to pester Wally to help her, or worse, find a tutor. Sometimes, asking for help wasn’t an easy thing for Iris to do. She liked to be right, she liked to prove to the world, and honestly herself; that she could do anything she set her mind to. 

French so far, was going to be her favorite class. She loved the language and was sad that she had to leave during the middle of the year, but luckily for her, she was on track and was able to blend in for this class. Her French teacher, Mademoiselle Antonie, was born and raised in France until she was the age of ten, then moved to the states with her parents where she learned English. She was a tall woman, olive skin with stark dark hair, her eyes were a light shade of green and Iris was sure she was half in love with her listening to her conjugate verbs for the class. 

By 11:15, it was time for lunch, new schools were awful during lunch, she had no idea where to sit and it brought about a massive amount of anxiety that left Iris staring at her lap in frustration. To her surprise, the food selection was better than the public school she attended previously. It looked like _actual_ food. 

Iris got herself a grilled chicken salad with baked potato chips and green tea before she turned and stared blankly into the void that was the cafetiera. Iris walked around, avoiding the eyes of her peers as she searched for an open table; she found one, unfortunately it was in the center of the room, where she’d be watched by everyone. 

Begrudgingly, Iris sat down, setting her tray of food on the table before pulling out the chair and sitting. Sighing to herself, Iris rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow perched on the table. Taking her fork, she pushed around the romaine lettuce. First day jitters always made her stomach uneasy, the thought of eating kind of made her want to vomit, but she took a bite anyway; it was way too good to be considered school food.

Iris took it upon herself to scan the lunch room, watching people who had clearly been going to CC Prep for years, it showed in how they talked to their friends, how close they sat; she even saw some people share food. As Iris was putting another fork full of food into her mouth, her eyes continuously scanned the cafeteria, locking on a pair of green eyes. Iris blinked, before realizing it was the boy she saw earlier.

_Oh, he’s_ **_cute_ **. Iris thought to herself, she realized her mouth was full of lettuce and chicken, her eyes went wide before she averted her eyes, looking down at the finished salad. Finding the courage to look up again, she was met with the same eyes, still looking at her. Her cheeks warmed, lucky enough that it wouldn’t show on her face. 

But Iris was never one to back down, and she wasn’t going to lose this game of silent chicken with a cute boy. The two of them stared at each other across the way, the boy surprisingly not wavering for a while, until his friend -- the same boy from earlier -- caught his attention. Iris smiled to herself, knowing she won.

When the bell rang, Iris didn’t rush to get moving, at her own pace she cleaned up her lunch, disposing of the trash and placing the tray on top of the bin. Blending into the crowd, Iris followed the other students until she peeled off, slipping into a bathroom.

After using the bathroom and freshening up, the bell rang -- Not that she cared too much. Iris was going to take full advantage of being slightly late to most of her classes, they couldn’t blame the new girl for being lost, it was her first day!

Stepping out of the bathroom, Iris opened the flap of her messenger bag, pulling the map out of the front pocket. She had study hall next, all she had to do was find the classroom. Iris wondered if the other students eventually figured out where their classes were, or what method they used to not get incredibly lost all the time. She wondered down hallways, getting increasingly more frustrated because for the most part they all looked the same. 

“This is fucking stupid,” She huffed out, her feet basically stomping as she rounded the corner, bumping into yet again another person. She really needed to watch where she was going. It was the cute boy from the cafeteria, and from earlier that morning. Iris blinking, looking up at him, he somehow seemed taller up close. 

“Sorry,” She said softly, taking a step back, the map in her hand had fallen to the ground, she reached down to pick up, not noticing the boy before he did so as well. Their heads knocked together, Iris hissed holding her head, the boy doing the same. “What a terrible first impression,” Iris joked, rubbing the top of her head. He blinked at her, watching Iris before he bent down to get her map for her, making sure they wouldn’t bump heads again. 

“Couldn’t be any worse than mine,” He started, handing Iris back her map, there was a pause before he took a breath. “I’m Barry.”  
  
“Iris,” she said, taking the map from him, holding it back to its original size. “What’s worse than bumping heads with someone?” She questioned, the corners of her mouth pulling into a small smile.

“Two seconds into meeting each other and you’re already expecting my most embarrassing memory?” Barry’s smile was wide, Iris wasn’t sure what it was about him but he currently seemed like the happiest boy in the world. Iris raised her eyebrow, looking up at Barry.

It was something Iris couldn’t really put her finger on, it was almost like it was on the tip of her tongue, almost instantly, they had a connection. It was electric, her face grew into a brighter smile. Their eyes never leaving each other. Barry let out a chuckle, nodding his head, averting his eyes from Iris’ just for a moment before they found them again.

“Okay, I’ll level with you,” He started, “I’ll tell you and I’ll help you find your next class.”  
  
“What makes you think I need help?” Iris questioned, her hands falling to her hips. Of course, Iris _did_ need the help, but messing with the cute boy with green eyes was almost too good to pass up. A brown eyebrow raised on its own, like Barry was challenging her. 

“What’s your next period?” There was a pause before Iris went to answer, shifting the weight between her feet. 

“Study hall. W150.” She grumbled out, avoiding Barry’s eyes.

“It’s on the other side of campus.”  
  
“Fine. Take me, and tell me your embarrassingly terrible story.” Barry stepped to the side, guesting in the direction to his left, Iris walked past him, smiling when Barry caught up and walked in step with her. 

“So, it’s my first year here at CCP and I had gym class,” Barry started, looking towards Iris as they started walking, she nodded, looking up at him, her hand gripping the strap of her bag. “We had to climb a rope, totally cliche and didn’t really prove anything.”

“Other than having upper body strength, but go on.” Iris teased, a smirk present on her face. Barry scoffed, rolling his eyes, but there was no bite behind it. His actions kept up the playful air the two of them had.

“ _Anyways_ , I was next, I hated gym -- clearly,” He joked motioning to his own body. Barry was tall and lanky for sure. Iris giggled, nodding along. “I stepped up to the rope, looking up at the rope, saw how high it scaled -- You had to ring the bell at the top.” Barry was excitable retelling what was supposed to be an embarrassing moment, Iris could appreciate a good storyteller. 

“Gripping the rope was easy, trying to get myself off the floor was the hard part. Turn down here.” The two of them took a left turn, down another hall that looked like the last. Again, Iris was confused how anyone found their class. “I was trying so hard just to lift this terribly long body off the ground, I was straining and begging and I think I even prayed a bit and then..” Barry paused, looking at Iris, who was on the edge of her metaphorical seat in anticipation. 

“I farted.”

Iris stepped dead in her tracks, processing Barry’s last two words. She looked up at him before her face broke out into a bright smile accompanied by a boisterous laugh. Iris placed a hand across her stomach, throwing her head back, the other hand coming and resting on Barry’s arm.

“Oh my god.” Iris said, as her laughter began to die down. Barry stood there, the tips of his ears turning pink, he didn’t feel nearly as embarrassed as he did the day it happened. The story _was_ funny, and he got to make a cute girl laugh. A _really_ cute girl.

“Okay, okay, I get it. It’s funny.” Conveniently they had stopped in front of Room W150.

“Hilarious, actually.” Her cheeks were hurting from all her laughter, she used her finger to wipe a small tear from her eye. Iris looked over, noticing the room number and turned back to Barry, smiling, her cheeks aching a little more as she did so. Not that she minded. 

“Here you go Iris, study hall.” He motioned towards the room, smiling down at her. It was kind of sad how much he wished he had study hall this period too, just to talk to her, get to know her. Being around her was electrifying in a way he had never felt before. 

“Thanks Barry,” Iris said, she paused, not wanting to leave, but she really should go into class. Shifting the weight between the ball and the heel of her foot, Iris sighed, gripping the strap of her bag. “I guess I’ll see you around.” Turning her back to Barry, Iris turned the handle of the classroom and walked inside. 

For her first day, Central City Prep wasn’t.. Bad. There were people that looked at her a little too long or maybe even whispered to their own respective groups about her; but Iris didn’t mind. It was expected when you were the new kid on the block.

It was a good thing Iris was always up to date with her studies; she was able to jump right into where her classes were, not needing to raise her hand and single herself out more than she already was. Though she did have homework to look into, on top unpacking the boxes in her dorm. The thought alone caused Iris to groan inwardly. 

. . .

The thing about Central City Prep was that.. Not a lot of exciting things happened day to day. It was a boarding school in the heart of the Central City. Barry was known for always being on top of his work, ‘King of The Nerds’ as he was dubbed his first year. He even used his free period to help his favorite teachers; because if Barry was anything it was a teacher’s pet.

Of course he heard the snippets of conversation as he walked to his classes, the new girl Iris West had arrived. Her and her brother were transfers from out of town, their father had gotten a promotion and the family relocated. (That was all Barry had heard so far, unlike his best friend Cisco, Barry wasn’t up to date on the school's gossip trail).

A new kid wasn’t as exciting as a lot of people made it out to be, sure it was a new face, a lot of students at CCP had known each other for years. Barry learned quickly that fussing over a new kid that would most likely not end up being his friends was pointless on his part. Until he met Iris West.

She was pretty, outstandingly pretty, other worldly even -- though Barry wouldn’t dare say that out loud. She was pretty and short, and had a laugh that sounded as nice as those concert pieces his mother listened to while she read.

Her hair was long, went down to the center of her back maybe, Barry really didn’t notice all that much. It was hard to focus on anything when her smile was as blinding as it was. Her voice was soothing to his ears and he could listen to her talk all day, even if it was teasing him about his most embarrassing moment. He didn’t really care all that much.

All Barry knew was that he wanted to get to know Iris West, and he had a plan to do it. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F I N A L L Y, the start of my multi-chapter fic. I have most of it outline at this point. Looking to update either weekly or bi-weekly. I hope y'all enjoy it! Let me know what you think/what you'd like to see more of! 
> 
> I re-read the chapter multiple times, hopefully there isn't any typos, but hey! Nobody's perfect.
> 
> You're in for a ride, believe that!
> 
> Stay safe!! :')


	2. Chapter 2

Iris enrolling into CC Prep was probably the most exciting thing that had happened in Barry’s immediate circle since the science fair last year. Of course, that was due to Cisco’s project short circuiting the auditorium. Other than that? It was pretty much the same. Barry went to his classes, he hung out with Cisco, he did his homework and chilled in his dorm room.

When he first arrived at CC Prep, he envisioned himself having a group of friends who did tons of stuff together. Game nights, grabbing food, sneaking out; it was a pipe dream he thinks, Barry was tall and pale and terribly scrawny. He watched guys like Eddie and Oliver who were easily popular due to their build and ability to play sports.

Unfortunately, sports never interested Barry. He was always involved in science and things about the world others found boring or unbelievable. He doesn’t regret it, he loves his interests, his friends; but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t wish for more. He wanted something, or someone new, he was unlike anything or anyone he already knew. 

He hoped he didn’t come off as a creep, the way he wanted to know Iris, be her friend. He wanted to know what she was into, and find a way to make her laugh like he did before. It was melodious and perfect, it was the only way he could describe it.

"I need a favor," Barry asked Cisco in their dorm room after classes the previous day. Cisco, who was currently playing video games, paused it, pushing hair out of his face and met Barry with a raised eyebrow, ushering Barry to go on. "I need you to find out what Iris' schedule is." Barry's biting the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit he wanted to kick, but couldn't. There was silence for a moment, Cisco just looking at him.   
  


"You've got it bad dude. I thought it was just some small crush." He was already moving from his spot, getting his laptop that was separate from his school work. He built it himself, so what?

"I know, I know. You don't get it man, she's just so--" 

  
  
"You talked to her for like five minutes yesterday.."

"Not the point! I want to get to know her, I'm pretty sure this plan is fool proof.."

Barry was a good kid, he paid attention in class, he did his homework, he aced all his texts. Barry was a model student, when it came to girls? He was usually a mess. They made him nervous, too nervous to even try and talk to them. But for some reason, while Iris made him nervous, she also gave him this sense of tranquility. All he could think about was being around her.

During his classes the next day, Barry spent the first half of his day trying to draw his focus back to his teachers. For the first time in, well like ever; he didn't have the answer ready when a teacher called on him. The gasps and wild looks caused the tips of his ears to turn pink. 'King of the Nerds' didn't know the answer to something? Shocking.

Which honestly is a little ridiculous, so what if Barry didn't have the answer ready at a moment's notice? He still knew what the answer _was_. 

Lunch was a blessing, at least he knew he'd see Iris and he could ask to eat lunch with her. The thought alone made him entirely too nervous, thinking about looking into her eyes and asking if she'd risk spending time with possibly the nerdiest kid at CC Prep.

When the bell rang, Barry was the first out of the room and the first to get to the cafeteria, it wouldn't have been embarrassing if he didn't receive weird looks for frantically looking around. It took a moment, as other students trickled in for Barry to spot her. 

Her hair was in tight curls, Barry's eyes followed each coil for as long as he could before he'd get lost in another. Her clothes were mostly the same as yesterday, except today she had a skirt on and not the pants that seemed a little too big for her. Barry did his best - though he failed - to not catch a glimpse of her legs. His throat went dry before he blinked quickly before pushing himself forward to get in line with her.

"Iris!" Barry called out, watching Iris turn to him, her dazzling brown eyes staring up at him, the corners of her mouth pulling back into a large smile. It stopped Barry in his tracks, reflecting her smile with one of his own. 

  
  


"Hey Barry," Iris then turned to the line of food, debating whether to choose between the salad or pizza. Ultimately she chose the pizza, and apple juice. Barry chose the pizza for himself as well and orange juice. Iris looked at his drink of choice and raised her eyebrow. "Your juice tastes are questionable."

Barry chuckled, shaking his head, following Iris as she walked away from the food line. It was a good sign that she didn't tell him to go away as they approached a table. Pulling out the chair for her, Barry smiled as she sat down.

"Seriously Barry, orange juice with pizza? Are you okay?" She added for good measure, setting her bag in the empty chair next to her. Happy sitting next to her, Barry rolled his eyes playfully.

"Judging my drink preferences, that's not very nice of you Miss West." Barry took it upon himself to make a show of him taking his straw and inserting it into the covered drink. Iris watched, an eyebrow raised before she rolled her eyes and started laughing. 

The two of them fell into comfortable silence, eating their food; Iris still watching her peers and observing. It was nice, to have someone next to her, it didn't matter if they were talking or not, Iris enjoyed this. 

"How long have you been going here?" Iris asked once she finished her lunch, pushing the tray closer to the center of the table. 

That feeling was there again, feeling like there was something pulling them closer together. Whatever it was, it was outside of their control, but they -- or Iris at least, was powerless against it. 

“Since freshman year,” Barry started, he covered his mouth as he spoke, as it was still full of pizza. When he pulled it away, there was pizza sauce on the corner of his mouth. Iris giggled before pointing to the very same spot on her face, when Barry wiped his left side, Iris giggled again. He had missed the sauce that was on the right side of his mouth, instead of trying to direct him; Iris took it upon herself. 

Taking a napkin, she wrapped it around her finger before leaning forward and dabbing the right corner of Barry’s mouth. As she was making sure she got all of it, the two of them locked eyes, it was like everything around her went silent or slowed down. All she could see was a field of green that resembled Barry’s eyes perfectly. 

Barry wasn’t sure how he got here, the prettiest girl he had ever seen or talked to, was here eating lunch with him. Leaning forward to clean his mouth, Barry had seen many people -- girls with brown eyes. Yet none of them could compare to Iris West’s. It was like the longer Barry stared, the more they drew him in. 

“So uh,” Barry cleared his throat, breaking the trance they were both trapped in. “Yeah. Started going here my freshmen year, I’ve always been in Central City, my dad’s a doctor, my mom’s an artist. One of my favorite scientists is a Central City native actually -- Harrison Wells. He's done amazing things for the city, and the scientific world, I'd love to meet him one day.” Barry was going off a mile a minute and Iris didn’t seem to mind. “I begged my parents to let me enroll, just to be in the same halls he was when he was my age. Hopefully I can be someone great like him.” 

Iris looked up at Barry with a smile on her face, it wasn’t hard to do so. Barry was quite adorable, his face lit up when he mentioned Harrison Wells. While she heard the name before in passing, he also had a residence hall named after him, which Iris was currently staying in.  _ Wells Residence Hall.  _ Iris made a mental note to do some research on him and see what the excitement was about. Science wasn’t really her forte, but she figures if Barry was excited about him, she could too.

“What?” Barry asked her, the corners of his mouth pulling into a smile to mirror hers. 

“You are very cute Barry, you know that?”

. . . . .

Maybe Iris should’ve used her free period to go over her notes from the day before, or maybe to make sure all her notebooks were color coded the way she liked them to be. Instead, she found herself on one of the computers _Googling_ Harrison Wells. He was the founder of _S.T.A.R. Labs_ , a research and development company dedicated to opening doors in the scientific world. It was owned by Harrison Wells himself and his wife Tess Morgan. 

As Iris clicked and read, she could understand why Barry would be excited about someone like Harrison Wells, he was a smart man that opened a lot of doors for young minds, she didn’t want to seem silly.. But part of her already felt closer to Barry.

She wondered why it was so easy for her to talk to Barry, when he smiled she couldn’t think of anyone else looking as happy as he did. When he talked he burst with excitement that just made her want to keep asking him questions so he’d never stop. Unfortunately.. There weren’t a lot of other people like Barry.

Iris tried her best to make friends in her other classes, but for the most part.. The conversations died or people paid her no mind. Normally this wouldn’t bother her, but she couldn’t shake the need to fit in, to find her people. Maybe then Central City, and CC Prep by extension would start to feel more like home and not a vacation. 

She didn’t even want to think of how fast Wally was fitting in, she tried calling him this morning to meet up for breakfast before the final bell rang but was met with his voicemail. Part of her knew he was probably still sleeping, as Wally was always a late sleeper. But the anxiety that followed her like a shadow told her that her baby brother had already met some friends and no longer cared about hanging out with his sister. 

At least when the bell rang for her next class it would be theater, where Iris could get lost in. If she thought about Harrison Wells and all the things she learned she could mention to Barry the next time she saw him.. Well, that was a secret she could keep to herself. 

It being her second day, Iris still managed to get lost, but was able to get herself back on track, making it to the black box theatre. It was where the theatre classes were held during the day, and when smaller shows were performed.

From the ceiling to the floor, it was painted pitch black, one half of the room was set as a makeshift audience. Three tiered setting, the tallest being in the back, the middle the second tallest, and the last being the shortest. The other half was open space, sometimes there would be black chairs, or wooden boxes that were also painted black.

Some students were already seated in the back row, a few in the middle, the only one in the front was Patty Spivot. She was just about Iris’ height, she had blonde hair and blue eyes, she was pretty; objectively. At least Iris thought so.

“Oh, Iris, you can sit here if you want.” Patty offered once she saw Iris walk in, she smiled and sat next to Patty, setting her bag down by her feet as they waited for their teacher. He kind of reminded Iris of her father, he was tall, dark, and handsome. He had a voice that captured others, all eyes would draw to him when he entered a room.

Yesterday he talked about his life as an actor, on stage and on film. He mostly did stage shows, musicals too. But soon he realized his passion was teacher and came back to the city his parents met and decided he’d teach acting; and here he was. Mr. Reid didn’t wear professional clothes like Iris’ other teachers did. He wore combat boots, ripped jeans, and button down shirts, it was a good look. 

As expected, when Mr. Reid walked into the classroom, without even saying a word, the students -- Iris included -- looked at him, waiting to see what he had to say. It was easy to tell Mr. Reid enjoyed the respect to some extent, if his smile had anything to say about it. 

“Morning all, today we’ll be working on scene work. You’ll --”

  
  
There was a knock on the door, everyone turned to it, Iris was surprised to see that Barry was behind it, walking towards Mr. Reid with a piece of paper. Their teacher looked it over before nodding.

“Take a seat Mr. Allen.” There was a noise next to Iris, she looked over, spotting Patty looking at Barry with wide love struck eyes and a blush that was blossoming on her cheeks and nose. 

Barry had debate this period, he took it last year and wasn’t really sure what elective he would take this year. So what if he asked Cisco to look up Iris’ schedule, what if he practically begged Ms. Honey to change his schedule so he could have theatre at the same time as the prettiest girl in school? That was neither here nor there, all that mattered was there he was here and he could spend time more time with Iris. 

"As I was sayin, scene work, I will hand out scripts, you will partner up and work on them. Read over them, figure out who is which character, try to look between the lines. I want to feel that you understand the conversation these characters are having.” Mr. Reid had gone around and handed out print outs from a play. 

“Do you want to be my partner Iris?” Barry asked, she smiled and nodded her head.

“Of course silly.” Neither of them seeing Patty’s face fall from sadness, to disappointment to anger. Not that they would, the both of them were sitting with their heads close together as they went over the scene, deciding who would be who.

“Sorry, if I’m bad, I’ve never acted before. I wanted to try something new.” Barry said softly, he was looking at his lines before he looked up to steal a peak at Iris’ deep brown eyes again. 

“Please, don’t be hard on yourself, we’re all learning here. I won’t laugh at you, pinky promise.” Iris held out her pinky, she hoped Barry wouldn’t think it was childish or dumb or anything. Luckily, after Barry looked down at Iris’ lone pinky, he hooked his own around hers. Once again their eyes met, taking them to their own little world somehow still unaware of its existence. 

Though, Patty and Mr. Reid were able to see that Iris West and Barry Allen were going to mean something to each other.

After watching half the class stumble through their scenes, it was Barry and Iris’ turn. They sat across from each other in front of the class, Iris in one black chair and Barry in the other. With their lines still in their hands, they started their scene. Right off the bat, Mr. Reid could tell there was chemistry between them. 

He could see their body language meant they were comfortable with each other, neither of them were showing they were nervous or tense. Their eye contact remained on each other, even if they had to look down at their hands for the next line; the momentum wasn’t lost. They were still able to keep the scene moving, smooth as it started. Iris West was a student he didn’t know before yesterday and Barry Allen had never been to the performing arts wing once, but it seems they were both here for a reason; one neither of them or Mr. Reid were aware of.

_Iris West is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen_ , it’s a thought Barry has had probably a million times since they met yesterday, he wondered if he’d ever stop being in awe of her beauty, and now apparently her talent? The way she looked at him when she said her lines, if it weren’t for the paper they each had in their hands, Barry would’ve been convinced she was actually telling the truth.

He figures he’s doing alright himself, despite public speaking, or just.. Being in front of people in general makes him pretty damn nervous, he’s not when Iris is by his side. He’s not sure how she’s able to give him this surge of confidence that he’s never really been able to find himself but he thinks he likes it. Besides, if all he has to do to stay in this class is listen to Mr. Reid and work with Iris? He figures he can do that. Asking Cisco to look up Iris’ schedule was one of the best things he could’ve asked for.

There’s that feeling again, anytime Barry and Iris are around people, she seems to forget they aren’t the only two people in the room. Somehow, even with lines written by someone else, it just feels like they’re in their own little bubble, existing just as they should. When they finished the scene, the classroom was quiet for a moment, until there were a ‘wow,’ followed by clapping. Mr. Ried clapping himself with a big smile on his face.

“Barry, Iris,” He started, moving from his chair. “That was beautiful, the way each of you captured what the characters are trying to convey to each other. That class? Is how I want you to look at your next scene. Try to connect yourself to a part of the character that is true to you, something you can pull from, so it’s authentic.” Barry and Iris looked at each other, really not expecting the praise, Barry felt they just did the assignment that was given to them, he probably would have said it was all Iris’ doing.

“Thank you Mr. Reid, Barry makes a great scene partner.” She smiled as the two of them went back to their seat, Barry reflecting her. Patty on the other hand had a crease forming between her eyebrows. Iris West had been attending Central City Prep for exactly two days and has already gotten the attention of Barry Allen, her crush.

She can recall the first time she actually saw him, it was at the Fall Festival the year she enrolled. He was hanging out with Cisco, who had a churro in his hand, Barry had hot chocolate, or at least that’s what it looked like from the steam that was flowing from the cup.

The way he threw his head back to laugh when Cisco spoke, Patty was instantly envious that she couldn’t make Barry laugh like that. Patty had wanted to speak to him, she trailed behind Cisco and Barry for most of the night, eavesdropping on their conversations. If she wanted to talk to Barry she needed to know what he was into.

The night ended uneventfully, Patty couldn’t bring herself to speak to him. The moment didn’t feel right, she knew it needed to be perfect, as that’s what Barry deserved in her eyes. Sadly, the longer she attended CCP she discovered that her being a theatre kid, and him being a science kid meant they probably wouldn’t be in the same circles much at all.

They didn’t even have the same lunch period, to this day, Patty and Barry were separated. So how was it that Iris West was able to get Barry Allen to magically appear in their theatre class. Did they just meet? Had they known each other previously? There were so many questions that Patty had. Though all she could think about was how she should’ve been Barry’s scene partner and not Iris. Patty thought they complimented each other better.

Patty Spivot was going to find a way to get Barry Allen to notice her.

. . . . .

As predicted, going about the rest of his day after spending not only one, but two periods out of his day with Iris had been some sort of blessing. His focus was spread thin that he couldn’t even hear Cisco trying to get his attention. 

“Dude, you’ve been in La La Land all day, what gives?” Cisco was, and probably would always be Barry’s best friend. They were both into the same things and latched onto each other when they both enrolled their freshmen year.   
  
“Sorry man,” Barry apologized sheepishly, he brought his hand to the back of his neck scratching it. “It’s just been a weird day, kind of just, stuck in my head and all.” He hoped the explanation was good enough to get Cisco to drop it.

“Is this about that new girl Iris?” He prompted quickly, the Twizzler in his slushie acting as a straw. Barry’s ears and cheeks tinted with pink almost instantly, he shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes to his feet on the ground.

“What? No! What makes you think that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. You start acting weird the day she arrives, you were late for class. Ask me to find out her schedule, ditched me at lunch, picked up an elective you had never taken before and now you’re spacing out all the time? Any of that rings a bell?” Apparently Barry wouldn’t be let off the hook so easily. Barry sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

“I don’t know man, she’s just like  _ the _ prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. The way she smiles, the way she  _ laughs _ , you should’ve been there in class today. She’s a natural.” If Cisco was anything, he was a good friend, there was no way he was actually mad at Barry. There wasn’t a lot of excitement happening at CC Prep on good days. The fact that Iris West had been mentioned by multiple people and had only been here for two days said a lot about her. Or maybe that CCP didn’t really have anything going for it, but that was a conversation for another day. 

“Yeah, you seem pretty awe-struck over her.” Cisco added, “It’s chill man, as long as she doesn't try to take my spot as your best friend, it’s all good.”

“Cisco,  _ you’re _ my best friend, no one is going to take that spot from you.” Barry reached over and playfully punched Cisco's bicep, the two of them laughing as they walked towards their dorm. Barry spotted Iris sitting by one of the fountains, he couldn’t make out her facial expression from this distance, but he knew he wanted to talk to her. Or maybe he had to, he was still trying to not put too much thought on the way he gravitated towards her. 

“Go on man,” Cisco clapped Barry one his back. They bumped fists, Barry smiled as he walked over to her. He was quiet, he didn’t want to startle her.

“Hey Iris,” He said softly, when she turned to him, he knew instantly something was wrong. His face fell instantly. “Can I sit?” He asked, waiting for her permission before he took the spot next to her. He wanted to ask if anything was wrong, _clearly_ there was. Her eyes were void of the usual sparkle they held, it made Barry’s chest ache. Instead, he slowly reached out and took her hand in his; he was confident enough that she would tell him if this wasn’t what she wanted. 

“I miss my family,” Iris confessed after sometime, like she was able to hear him ask her what was wrong in her head. Barry nodded, he could understand that, from what he heard around campus, Iris had never been to a boarding school before, just the run of the mill public school -- of course this would be an adjustment for her. “My brother -- Wally, he is fitting in so well. He doesn’t have this need to be liked or have to try hard at making friends. It comes so easy to him and me? Well.” Iris waved her free hand before it fell in her lap. 

“Iris,” Barry chuckled softly, “It’s been two days since you’ve been here. Not everyone is going to flock to you. Which by the way seems ridiculous. I’ve known you for two days and I can tell you’re a sweet person, who just wants to fit in. Everyone wants that, or at least most people do. It will come in time, and hey! You’ve met me, we’re friends right?” Barry asked, looking down at her. Iris’ sad face softened before pulling into a small smile. It wasn’t her usual, but Barry would take it. 

“I understand though, I miss my parents a lot. But I kind of think of it as prep for college, we’re going to be in the same spot soon enough right? And like I said, you have me, I can introduce you to Cisco, I’m sure you’ll make lots of friends once everyone realizes how amazing you are and -- Hold on. Let me show you something.” As Barry stood up, Iris kept her hand in his, following him as she stood up herself; following him as he led them inside his dorm building.

“Oh shit, is you stay in  _ Wells _ too?” Barry looked down at her and nodded, his eyes lighting up the way she always found endlessly adorable. “That is entirely fitting.” Too excited to bring Iris to his secret spot, he didn’t even catch her comment. 

The two went down the hall, getting to the stairs that lead to the top of the building, Iris thought they were all locked, at least that’s what the headmaster ensured. Nothing about Barry screamed ‘troublemaker’ so she wasn’t entirely too worried about where he was taking her, curious if anything. Barry pulled out a lanyard of keys, he found one that was large and old and stuck it into the hole of the lock. Then he pocketed the key and opened the door, retaking Iris’ hand. 

“Okay, so, when I first started attending CCP I also missed my family a lot. I’m an only child though, so I didn’t have anyone else around before I met Cisco.” Barry pushed the door back a little, showing Iris his oasis. 

It looked like something out of a movie, the top of the building was decorated like a little hang out. There was a rug in the center, and bean bag chairs, there was awning covering one half, the other left open. There were sting lights and small coffee tables and Iris was sure she spotted a mini fridge somewhere.

“What the hell?” She said out of breath, “What is this?” Barry let go of Iris’ hand, walking towards the center of the room with his arms out stretching turning in a semi circle to now face Iris.

  
  
“This is my secret spot, you’re the only other person besides the janitor that knows about this place.” He held out his hand for Iris to take, she walked towards him, her face still in awe. “I wanted a place that I could go and sit in my feelings about missing my family. Sometimes you just need to embrace the sad feelings even if you don’t want to. I wanted a space where I could have those feelings that wasn’t my dorm or the library.”

  
  
“I want to offer it to you, share it. It could be like.. Our own little spot.” Barry hoped it didn’t come off weird, he hoped that Iris also felt this weird connection that they had. Every time he saw Iris today felt like a gift, he hoped he’d continue to receive those gifts throughout the year. 

“Barry this is--” She could barely find words to describe her gratitude? Her astonishment? Before any other words could make it past her lips, she surged forward, wrapping her arms around his torso. “This is absolutely perfect. Thank you for this.” Barry’s arms snaked their way around Iris, he didn’t realize how tiny she was compared to him until this very moment. 

“Here, do you want anything to drink? I have water, soda, apple juice.” He motioned towards the mini fridge and then the couch. Still in too much awe, all Iris could do was take a seat, looking out at the skyline as the sun began to set. “I just want you to know you’re not alone and that CCP is cool once you find your footing. We have festivals for just about every season, and on the weekends we can leave campus and go into the city, I’ll take you one day.” Leaving the invitation to her, he hoped that she’d take him up on it when the time came.

The two of them sat next to each other on the obnoxiously large bean bag chair looking out over Central City as the sun set. Iris cuddled next to Barry, her head resting on his shoulder. Without realizing it, the two of them fell asleep, the world growing dark around them. A couple hours later, Barry sat up, the sun had already set, the moon and her stars were out. He groaned as he pulled out his phone, it was currently 9:45 and curfew was in fifteen minutes. 

“Shit.” Barry hissed, rolling his neck from side to side before remembering the weight on him, Barry turned to see Iris still sound asleep. His face softened before he took his free hand and shook Iris softly. “Iris, hey. Iris.” He started. 

“We gotta go, curfew is in fifteen minutes.” He wished he didn’t have to wake her up, she looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, but somehow also looked just as peaceful when she was leaving sleep. Iris yawned, sitting up and stretching her arms over her head. She smiled softly at Barry, standing up and getting her bag, Barry doing the same. “I’ll walk you to your dorm.” 

Iris nodded, leading the way, the two of them still quiet, sleep lingering on them from their nap. Once they made it to Iris’ room, she turned and smiled up at Barry. 

“Thanks,” Iris leaned against the door, them staring each other down. “I really appreciate you sharing your spot with me. That was very sweet.” Once again, surprising her, Barry took out the lanyard, removing the key she saw him use earlier.

He took one of Iris’ hands, placing the key inside and curling her fingers around it. It took everything in his power not to keep holding her hand, but he let go and watched as it went back to her side. 

“I have a spare. You’re welcome to go up there when you need a break from the world. It’s good for that.” Bringing her hand back up between them, Iris opened her hand, looking at the key. Her chest was aching, but in a way she couldn’t describe. 

“You’re amazing Barry Allen, you know that?” 

“Just trying to keep up with you.” Grabbing his shirt, pulling him closer to her, Iris raised herself on the balls of her feet, giving Barry a soft kiss on the cheek. 

“Goodnight Barry.”

  
  
“Goodnight Iris.” 

The smile never left her face as she turned to unlock her dorm room, disappearing behind it. While still holding the key Barry gave her, Iris leaned against the door once it was closed, hugging the key to her chest with a wide smile on her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this chapter was a pain, but WHAT DO WE THINK? I'm trying to build up all these small moments with Westallen, because who are we kidding, aren't the small moments the best?
> 
> Yes, Patty is in this fic, yes she's kind of annoying. But we love drama here, don't we? No? Just me? 
> 
> More of that will come soon, for now enjoy soft babies as their friendship grows. 
> 
> Tell me your favorite part, and stay safe!!


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